Peter B. Tiemann 

Attorney At Law

Protect Your License

Stay out of Jail

Law Offices of

Peter B. Tiemann

Roland X. Tiemann

Attorney At Law

Affordable Fees

First Offender Discount

All Sacramento, El Dorado,

Placer, Amador, and Yolo County

Superior Courts

Experienced & Aggressive

DUI Defense

All Major Credit Cards Accepted

Consultas in Espanol

Free Same Day Consultation

(530) 621-2400 or (916) 941-7300

Drunk Driving Warrants

Because of limited police resources, DUI warrants are usually not served as soon as they are issued.  They go into the police computer database and sit there until an officer runs your name and finds out you have an outstanding warrant.  DUI warrants are considered low priority because the police figure they will eventually run into or locate  the person named on the warrant and that person will be arrested.  A person who has skipped out on their DUI trial, or failed to complete some court-ordered requirement can assume that most likely there has been a warrant issued for their arrest. Just because the police don't come knock on your  door does not mean that the warrant is forgotten. 

Because of the potential pitfalls, you need a good dui defense attorney to navigate your way through the court.  The DUI defense lawyer can talk to the DA regarding any potential violations of probation and work with the judge to clear the warrant and get you re-instated in good standing with the court.  Don't let a DUI warrant ruin your life.  Often it's as easy as contacting a DUI Defense attorney who can begin the process of getting the warrant cleared.  To find out if you have a warrant, contact a local bail bonds company because they have access to warrant information.  

Clearing a Warrant

It's best to clear up a DUI warrant in a timely manner to avoid any nasty surprises in the future. A person can generally move on with their lives after a DUI conviction, but if an outstanding DUI warrant is lurking, it's all but impossible to move on.  Clearing a DUI warrant can be as easy as turning yourself into the Sheriff's Department warrant unit.  Unless you have other warrants, you will generally be released and given a new court date to appear in court.  Some jurisdictions allow you to appear in court to clear the warrant.  Most courts are glad when a person appears on their own to clear a DUI warrant and will generally work with the person to get them back in good standing with the court including reinstating the person in the DUI class, allowing them to start making payments, and allowing the person to carry out their original sentence on alternative sentencing instead of in custody.  In some cases, a person may be required to complete their original sentence in custody as punishment for not completing the sentence when ordered. 

Failure to Appear

DUI warrants typically arise when you don't do something required by the court.  If after your arrest, you don't show up for court.  A warrant will issue for your arrest for failure to appear.  Often times you are released without bond on a DUI.  If you fail to appear, the judge will usually order some amount of bail to be posted to make sure you don't fail to appear again.  So if you are picked up on the warrant, you will have to post some bail to be released.    Some judges will order a no bail warrant hold.  This means if you are ever picked up on the warrant, you won't be released until you are brought before the judge that issued the warrant.    

Probation Violation

After you plead guilty or are found guilty at trial, you will be sentenced.  The judge will order you to pay a fine, complete an alcohol education or treatment program, do community service or complete other court-ordered requirements to avoid going to jail.  If you fail to complete any of the court-ordered requirements, or pay the fine, a warrant will be issued for your arrest. 

Warrants Don't Go Away

Most DUI warrants go unserved for a period of time, but they never go away. There is no statute of limitations on a warrant and eventually, one way or another, the person will find out they have a warrant.  This usually occurs when you are stopped for a traffic ticket and you are told that you have a warrant.  Instead of getting a ticket, you are getting a ride to jail and your car impounded.  DUI warrants can also cause you problems if you travel out of the country because you could be detained at the border on the warrant.    

Warrants Follow You

When a person leaves the area in which their DUI warrant is issued, that doesn't mean that the warrant will never be served. It does mean that the warrant may be served at a very unexpected or inconvenient time though, which could make things worse. Having an outstanding warrant can prevent a person from getting a job, from leaving the country or even prevent them from re-entering the country without being arrested.

Warrant Sweeps

Most counties including El Dorado, Placer, and Sacramento conduct random warrant sweeps around the holidays.  Police do this to keep potential drunk drivers off the road during the holidays and because most people are home on the holidays so it's easier to locate them.  During warrant sweeps the police actively seek those people with outstanding DUI warrants.  They are rounded up, arrested and put in jail. They will be processed not only for the original DUI charge, but also for failing to appear in court or failing to fulfill the court ordered requirements following their conviction.

Free Same Day Consultation

For more information about clearing DUI warrants, call Drunk Driving Defense Attorneys Roland X. Tiemann, Peter B. Tiemann for a free same day consultation at (530) 621-2400 or  (916) 941-7300.  We are experienced and Aggressive DUI defense lawyers who will vigorously represent you.